The Sirohi Royal
Family are an ancient line of the Chauhan clan of
Rajputs, who ruled over a large area of South Western
Rajasthan and Gujarat in ancient times. Lakhan or
Lakshman Raj, younger son of Wakpati Rao Chauhan, seized
Nadol (near Jodhpur) from the Paramaras and established
himself there toward the end of the 10th
century. His descendant, Kirti Pal [Keytu] was driven
from Nadol by Sultan Qutb ud-din Aybak of Delhi,
during the 12th century. Keytu, then
journeyed further to the South West to Bhinmal and
Sanchor, before seizing Jalor from the Paramaras. The
Sirohi house traces their descent from Man or Maha Singh,
younger son of Rao Udai Singh (a son or grandson of
Keytu), briefly surrendered Jalor to Qutb's son-in-law,
Sultan Shams ud-din Altamish, in 1210 AD. Although
restored shortly afterwards, Udai's grandson lost Jalor
to Sultan Ala ud-din Khilji in 1312. However, the son of
Man Singh, Pratap Singh or Deoraj, had already laid the
foundations of the Sirohi principality. It is from Deoraj
that the family sept takes its name of Deora.

Vijayraji of Bijad, son of Deoraj, acquired Mandar and
Badgaon, which formed the nucleus of the kingdom. Mandar
remained in Deora hands throughout their rule in Sirohi,
and until it was absorbed into independent India. While
Badgaon eventually became part of Jodhpur territory.

Lumbha, the son of Vijayraj, dove out the last of the
Paramaras from Chandravati, thereby acquiring control
over Abu. The feat by which he accomplished this
audacious act is given to some of the most romantic tales
of by the Rajput bards. Perhaps the most entertaining of
them, the tale that he pledged a vast number of Chauhan
brides to Paramar sons. The marriage party arrived at the
Parama citadel, with armed soldiers disguised as the
brides, they disrobed, overpowered and killed their
would-be husbands, then seized control of the whole area
known as Arbudaranya.

Rao Rar Mal, the fifth ruler after Lumbha, built a new
capital at old Sirohi in 1347. Rao Shivbhan, his son,
founded a new capital at Shivpuri but the location proved
a bad choice. Shivbhan's son and successor, Sahas Mal or
Sainsmal, abandoned his fathers capital and founded the
new capital of Sirohi in 1425. Having driven out the
Solankis from the area and greatly extended his kingdom,
the larger state soon came to be known by the name of the
new capital. He also gave refuge to Maharana Kumbha, who
built himself the fortresses of Basantgarh and Achalgarh,
then refused to yield them up to his obliging host. His
forces remained there until finally expelled by Sahas
Mal's son, Rao Lakha, in 1457. Nevertheless, the Sisodias
refused to surrender their rights until Rao Jagmal,
Lakha's son had fought beside Maharana Raimal against the
Muslims, and then married his daughter. His two immediate
successors also fought heroically with the Sisodias
against the Muslim rulers of Delhi, Gujarat and Jalor.

The cosy relationship with Udaipur ended after the death
of Maharao Man Singhji II in 1572. The death of his
posthumous son soon after his own, resulted in something
of a vacuum. The new ruler, chosen by the leading nobles,
was opposed by several of his own clansmen and by the
minister. The latter rebelled and briefly ousted Maharao
Surtan. The latter had received help from the Maharana of
Udaipur, the military contingent being led by a distant
cousin called Kalla, who then attempted to have himself
proclaimed as ruler instead. Surtan went on to build
something a reputation for himself as the Rajput Don
Quixote, ever engaged in battling the Mughal foe, though
defeated at every turn. By the time he died, he had
fought fifty-two battles and lost every one.

The next two hundred years saw Sirohi largely in decline.
The first great catastrophe taking place during the reign
of Maharao Man Singhji III. The Jodhpur Maharaja invaded
his territories several times and annexed large tracts of
them to his own domains. The Maharaja's greed satiated
only after he secured the hand of the Maharao's daughter
in marriage.

The second catastrophe visited itself on Sirohi in 1808.
Maharaja Man Singh of Jodhpur seized the then ruler,
Udaibhan Singhji, while returning home after scattering
his father's ashes. The Jodhpur ruler demanded a huge
ransom in exchange for his freedom, and sent him home to
raise the required sum. The only way in which he could
meet his obligation was by raising the tax burden on his
subjects. Several nobles escaped their share by
transferring their allegiance to the neighbouring state
of Palanpur, which resulted in a sizeable loss of
territory. The rest rebelled against him and confined him
on Mount Abu. Eventually, they agreed to his younger
brother assuming the reins of government. Luckily for
him, the British had arrived on the scene and he lost no
time in securing an agreement with them. He was
recognised as Regent for life and the throne guaranteed
to his elder brother and his heirs, check-mating the more
powerful and troublesome nobles, who were intent on
control affairs themselves.

Sheo Singh eventually succeeded his inactive brother in
1847 and ruled relatively successfully until a debt
crisis forced him to appoint a British superintendent in
1854. Although this arrangement was loosened with the
appointment of his son as President of a General Council
of Administration in 1861, his successor did not resume
full control over state affairs for another four years.

Maharao Umed Singhji died in 1875, to be succeeded by his
son, Maharao Keshri Singh. The latter enjoyed a long and
remarkable reign lasting forty-five years, during which
the state advanced beyond the recognition of its
inhabitants. He improved the infrastructure, reformed the
administration, built schools, hospitals, dispensaries,
roads, railways, bridges and modern buildings. He
directed virtually all his state expenditure on civil
projects, maintaining an army of little more than 150
infantry and 7 guns. The achievements of his reign were
recognised by government several times, being promoted to
the hereditary titles of Raj Rajeshwar, Maharao and
finally Maharajadhiraj at the 1911 Durbar. Weary of his
burdens in later life, he first appointed his surviving
son as Musahib-i-Ala or Chief Minister in 1911,
then abdicated in his favour in 1920. He died in
retirement, six years later.

Maharao Sir Sarup Ram Singhji continued his father's good
works throughout his term as Chief Minister and after
succeeded as Maharao. During the 1930's and 1940's his
mind turned towards political reform, and he began to
establish the structures for a new era. A Council of
State, which functioned along cabinet lines, began work
in 1940. He established a High Court in the same year. In
1941, a Central Advisory Committee was established as a
forerunner to a parliament, and village panchayats
came into being. Soon afterwards, the Maharao transferred
government and administrative affairs to his ministers.
Yet, his death within five years unleashed an unexpected
storm.

At the reading of the late Maharao's will, his wishes for
his burial included a stipulation that he be buried a
Muslim. Soon afterwards, his testimony also included his
confirmation that he had converted to Islam as far back
as 1927 and married a Muslim lady in 1931. His whole
public life after those dates had been a charade,
outwardly professing the role of a benign Hindu ruler,
but secretly a Muslim. Although this enraged his subjects
enough, his death without a legitimate son left the
succession in even greater confusion. His heir was a
young infant, whom he had adopted two years previously,
from a distant collateral line.

The British authorities consulted widely amongst the late
Maharao's wives, remaining blood relatives, in-laws and
ministers. Most concluded that despite his lapse, the
adopted heir was also his closest male relative in the
male line of descent. The Viceroy accordingly selected
the three and a half year old Tej Ram Singhji as Maharao,
installing him on the gadi in July 1946.

A Council of Administration headed by the Chief
Minister,conducted government affairs on behalf of the
new ruler, and arranged for the accession of the state to
the Dominion of India in 1947. Just before leaving, the
British had also retroceded their enclave at Mount Abu as
a parting gift. Soon after acceding to the new Dominion,
significant parts of the state were dismembered and
attached to Bombay, the rest merging with other
neighbouring states to form the Rajasthan Union.

No sooner had India achieved its Independence when old
wounds within the ruling family erupted. The Manadar
family, descendants of Maharao Sheo Singhji had long been
a thorn in the sides of subsequent rulers. Successive
heads of that family had been in dispute over a number of
issues, including inheritance rights to jagirs, property
rights, titles and forms of address, the wearing of gold
ornaments and much else besides. The head of the family,
the Thakur of Manadar, now asserted his rights to the gadi
ahead of the little infant ruler. The new Indian
government was faced with an immediate problem. Tempers
were running high, the ruling council unpopular, and
supporters of the different claimants exchanging blows,
with opponents of the Congress Party exploiting the
situation to their own ends. Faced with a mounting
crisis, the government appointed a new commission to
investigate the competing claims. In the meantime, they
removed the ruling council and appointed a Council of
Regency composed of the Dowager Maharani, the popular
Maharana of Danta, and the father of Tej Ram Singhji.
After a lengthy investigation, the government overturned
the British decision and chose Abhai Singhji of Manadar
in his stead. The new ruler ascended the gadi
shortly afterwards in October 1950. At his death, the
succession devolved on his elder son, Maharao Raghubir
Singhji.

CLAN:
Deora sept of the Chauhan clan of Rajputs.

SALUTE:
15-guns.

FLAG:
A rectangular Rajput "Panchranga" consisting of
five horizontal stripes or bands of equal width, from top
to bottom: saffron, green, red, blue and white.

STYLES & TITLES:
The ruling prince: Maharajadhiraj Maharao Shri (personal
name) Singhji Bahadur, Maharao of Sirohi, with the
style of His Highness.
The consort of the ruling prince: (clan name)
Maharani Shri (personal name) Sahiba, Maharani of
Sirohi, with the style of Her Highness.
The sons of the ruling prince, during the lifetime of
their father: Maharajkumar Shri (personal name)
Singhji Sahib.
The younger brothers and grandsons of the ruling prince
in the male line, after the death of their fathers: Raj
Sahiban Shri (personal name) Singhji Sahib*.
The wives of the sons of the ruling prince: (clan name)
Rani Shri (personal name) Sahiba
The daughters of the ruling prince: Maharajkumari Baiji
Raj Shri (personal name) Sahiba.
The other male descendants of the ruling prince, in the
male line, during their father's lifetime: Kunwar Shri (personal
name) Singh.
The other male descendants of the ruling prince, in the
male line, after the death of their fathers: Raj Shri (personal
name) Singhji**.
The other female descendants of the ruling prince, in the
male line: Baiji Shri (personal name) Sahiba.

* The title of Maharaj was extended to all living holders
of this title in 1924, but as a personal distinction
only.
** Styled Thakuran Raj Shri when members of a jagir
holding family.